


The Babysitter Alliance

by TheDoctor101



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 08:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30002187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDoctor101/pseuds/TheDoctor101
Summary: While Finn waits to speak to all the Princesses they know and care about for the first time from their perspective, they remember better times that ultimately turn to bad times.
Kudos: 4





	The Babysitter Alliance

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the delay but this one took a while. Its a long one so you have been warned. This is mostly Finn's memories of their past and the future for everyone else that might be.
> 
> This one features a lot of stuff I'm proud of. Some of the original characters featured here are inspired by some of the ridiculously talented She-Ra community but I put my own spin on them. 
> 
> This one is by far the darkest. As I was writing it I suddenly realized 'Oh yeah, there's going to be a war around here'. So I'm sorry about some of that, I hope it doesn't upset too many people but *spoilers* to Finn there has been a lot of loss.
> 
> I have the next few planned out, in retrospect I'm sorry I brought the Futurist to 'The Present' so soon. They're going to be doing a lot of waiting around...ah well. If anyone wants to make guesses to their identity along the way I might do something for anyone that gets it right.
> 
> To anyone new please read The Date, The Mentor, The Meeting, The Story and The Talk before this in that order.
> 
> Please to enjoy, questions and feedback always welcome. As always please point out any errors in preferred pronouns that slipped by me and my trusty Editor and I will correct!

Sitting in Adora’s chair in the meeting room used for the Princess Alliance, Finn scanned their eyes over the other vacant chairs set around the large round table. More chair’s had been added since the war, Catra had one as did Scorpia and Entrapta even though she rarely attended. The table was even bigger in the room Finn remembered with chairs for his Uncle Sea Hawk, Aunt Frosta’s steady string of boyfriends and girlfriends and for Hordak. Closing their eyes and taking a deep breath, Finn moves their head around, a relaxing technique their Aunt Perfuma had taught them many years ago. Letting out a slow exhale of air, Finn tried to move past the thought of Hordak as they tapped the top of their leg which was placed on top of the chair with them. 

They had to relax, they had come back a long time ago. It would be years before things started to turn bad and all they had to accomplish was a few little changes here and there. Speaking with everyone they had in mind was just the beginning but they had time to burn. Often Finn wondered when the changes were made how it might affect them. After the changes would they fade away but then if that happened how could they exist to come back in the first place? Wondering if the headache’s involving time travel were on par with those the Futurist often spoke off during battle, Finn considered other options. If they returned to their time, would it be a modified version of their own present or one where there were two of them or another version of a child his parents had? It was a lot to deal with but that was a problem for future Finn. For now, they had all the time in the world. It was the time of peace and all they had to worry about at that time was speaking to a room of stranger who didn’t know them but who they would know very well. Even when the bad times came and that this room had been a very traumatizing place for Finn, the good memories outweighed the bad. Since Finn had literally been no age, they’d spent a lot of time with the various princesses in their own kingdoms. 

Their mothers wanted them to learn about all of Etheria, a sharp contrast to their reserved and sheltered upbringing. Plus even the best parents deserved a break and Finn had been the first of the alliance children…not by much but they were the ‘baby’. Everyone wanted a turn looking after them, even if they wanted to admit it or not. Glancing at each chair, Finn couldn’t help but have his anxiety over the upcoming meeting be eased by memories of what was affectionately called ‘The Babysitter Alliance’. Laughing to themselves, Finn focused his gaze on the pair of chairs occupied by his Aunt’s Scorpia and Permuna as they start to remember some of their earliest memories and some stories of his younger days as told to them by some of the people they loved most in the world.

3ish Years In The Future-The Friend Zone

Little Finn smiled up at the familiar sight of the giant blonde woman before them as they lied on their back. Giving a smile up at the women, Finn was far too young to reigister the joy it brought his Aunt Scorpia. 

‘I think I just got smiled at! I must be his favourite! Hello little guy! I’m your Aunt Scorpia!’ Overjoyed by the sight of the small kitten before her, Scorpia has all but forgotten the presence of Adora and Catra standing in front of their friend and baby. While Catra looked mildly amused by the whole affair before her, Adora looked slightly worried as she peers over a whole mess of bags that she carries on her back and in her arms. 

‘The baby smiled? It could be gas! Quick burp the baby Catra!’ Placing a reassuring hand on Adora’s shoulder and rubs her thumb against her wife’s arm. ‘You’ll have to forgive her. She’s a little tense, leaving Finn with someone else for the first time and all.’ 

‘I’m not tense!’ Adora proclaims before her eye starts twitching repeatedly. ‘Oh don’t worry, I completely get it.’ Scorpia replies ‘I’ve got this covered. I know you guys think of this whole place as big and scary but me and Perfuma have really made it out own. Finn is going to be fine, I promise!’ 

There was a strong confidence in Scorpia’s voice and she proceeded to coo over Finn as Catra looked at Adora with a ‘see? No problem’ kind of look but still her wife seemed uncertain. ‘Put the bags down. I don’t know why you insisted on carrying everything anyway. You could have at least transformed into She-Ra and made it a little easier.’ Darting her eyes like the idea to become She-Ra to make the carrying easier had occurred to her before this very second, Adora drops the baby stuff before Catra can notice the look on her face. 

‘Just look after our baby, please. If any harm comes to Finn I’ll…I’ll come back as a tall scary magic princess and do something good! I mean bad!’ Now even Finn was looking up at Adora with a puzzled looks as she proceeded to inhale and exhale rapidly. ‘This is why she needs a break.’ Catra explained to Scorpia before going down on one knee and sitting Finn up. ‘The kid won’t be any trouble, they aren’t even sitting up properly yet. Watch them flop down its hilarious.’ Tensing up as she watches Catra, Adora sees Finn being sat up and carefully is let go. After a few moments of expecting the baby to fall back down, Catra stands up and scratches her hair in curiosity.

‘Huh…guess our baby can sit up by themselves now. Good to know.’ Upon this latest realization Adora seems to renew her panic ‘What else can the baby do that we don’t know about!’ She proclaims loudly ‘Maybe teleporting! Or ice powers or electricity or…’ Before Adora can continue, Catra sighs and walks to leave Scorpia and Finn alone taking her wife with her by pulling tightly on her ponytail. 

‘Come on dummy. If we keep Sparkles and Bow waiting any longer, their own kid will have arrived and then they can do all the panicing and stuff.’ As Adora is dragged out by Catra, Scorpia turns Finn around and very carefully lifts up an arm and uses it to wave at the departing moms. ‘Bye mom!’ Scorpia says for Finn ‘Bye…other mom! Love you! Miss you!’ Looking back with a smile, Catra throws Finn a wink ‘Be good fur ball.’ She says with a tone full of love and it is Adora who has the last word as she is completely dragged out of the room. ‘Don’t worry Finn, I’ll come back for you. Mommy loves youuuuuuuuuuu.’ 

Once Adora and Catra are gone, Scorpia lets out a low whistle ‘I tell you Finn, you got lucky when it came to the parent draw let me tell you. If me and Perfuma can be half as good as your moms then I think we’ll maybe be okay.’ Standing up and looking down at Finn who doesn’t seem effected by the fact both moms have left and they are now sitting up for longer than they ever have. Busying looking at their own tiny paws, Finn is transfixed while Scorpia looking down adoringly. ‘Speaking off, where is that wife of mine? I know she was checking on the baby pod, maybe she’s still in the garden. We could go check, that sounds like fun, right?’

Silently Finn continued to regard Scorpia who towered over the baby and started stroking her chin with one of her claws. ‘Then again…’ Turning around for a moment, Scorpia did her best to recall a conversation from that morning with Perfuma. ‘I think she said she had a special lunch planned in one of the gardens. She was so excited for you coming of course that she wanted to go all out because well, classic Perfuma am I right?’ Laughing at the thought of having such a caring wife, Scorpia sighed wistfully to herself. ‘You know what? We’ll just go looking for her, come on it’ll be fun!’ 

Turning around to pick Finn up, Scorpia blinked several times as she stared at the now empty space before her. For what felt like hours to Scorpia, it actually took only a fraction of a second for her to register that Finn was now indeed gone. ‘Finn?’ Scanning the area Finn had been in only a moment ago as if the baby would just magically reappear, Scorpia proceeded to feel a building panic in her chest. ‘Finn?! FINN?!’ 

For the next proceeding five minutes, Scorpia runs through the Friend Zone as fast as she can yelling Finn’s name out. Time and again she meets confused people living in the kingdom, most of them former Horde soldiers who were granted amnesty following the war. Inside the throne room which had formally belonged to Hordak, Scorpia leans against a nearby wall and pants. Spotting two familiar faces she finds a new burst of energy and grabs Kyle, picking him up and breaking up the holding of hands he was enjoying with Rogelio. ‘Oh hey Scorpia…what’s going on?’ 

Trying to sound cool, it is clear that Kyle is terrified and for his part, Rogelio simply seems confused. ‘Have you seen Finn?!’ Scorpia yells into Kyle’s face which startles him to the point that he can’t speak. In an attempt to solve this issue, Scorpia proceeds to start to shake Kyle until Rogelio starts to protest verbally. Realizing what she’s doing, an embarrassed Scorpia puts Kyle down. Very shaken by the whole affair, Kyle staggers back until Rogelio catches him before he falls.

‘I am so sorry! I just…I just have to find Finn! If I don’t Adora…I mean She-Ra…I mean Catra…I mean maybe all three are going to kill me!’ Unable to even speak due to his current condition, Kyle sounds off a series of indecipherable words as Rogelio gives a concerned growl and strokes his hair. ‘Right, okay I get it, you guys haven’t seen Finn.’ Upon Scorpia coming to that realization, she is too focused on where to search next as Rogelio regards her coldly while still stroking Kyle’s hair. ‘Wait…where’s Lonnie? Lonnie was always good at finding my hair brush or stuffed crab when I’d lose it. Can you send me her way at least?’

Eager to get rid of Scorpia, Rogelio points in a random direction despite having no idea where Lonnie is, this gesture is followed by a quick thank you as the large former force captain takes off running again. The shouts of ‘Finn’ are now replaced by ones of ‘Lonnie’ as Scorpia makes her way through the Friend Zone inner botanic garden, completely missing Perfuma on her knees generating a lovely blue flower out of thin air for a smiling Finn who is sitting right in front of her.

Mere seconds later, Scorpia backs up and sees Perfuma playing with Finn with a look of relief on her face that makes it look like she might burst into tears. ‘FINN!’ Scorpia yells rushing forward and picks up the little baby and cuddles them close to herself. ‘I thought they were lost and then Adora would do things to me and Catra would never forgive me and that I’d have to leave the planet and maybe change my name or maybe even the solar system and…’ The worlds come out in a gush with a mix of panic and relief spurring them on and finally it is Perfuma’s laugh that finally gets Scorpia to pause. 

‘It’s not as if the baby can get very far and there are people everywhere. Besides my plants were watching the whole time.’ Giving Scorpia a reassuring smile, Perfuma watches her wife sit down and glance over awkwardly at a growing large pod a short distance behind the two women. ‘I just hope that I do a good job.’ Finn was falling asleep in Scorpia’s embrace causing her to smile down and for a moment she gets lost in the adorable sight of the small cat in her arms and is brought back when Perfuma touches her arm. 

‘You’ll be fine, we both will. Our child will be given all the love that they can handle and as long as you can give that I’m sure the rest follows rather easily.’ Feeling a great deal of love for Perfuma, Finn and the baby about to emerge from the pod behind them in mere weeks, Scorpia knows that as usual, her wife is right. 

‘Maybe I shouldn’t panic so much.’ Scorpia says with a hint of embarrassment and Perfuma touches the side of her cheek ‘Silly, your panic is part of who you are and I love every part of you.’ The two women share a kiss and lean into each other looking down at the sleeping baby together, thinking about the baby that is about to grace both their lives. ‘

You won’t tell Catra and Adora though right?’ Scorpia asks wearingly to which Perfuma responds promptly by saying ‘Oh heavens no, they’d kill us both.’ The moment between the couple resumes and for the rest of the day and the next day until Finn’s mothers return, all is seemingly perfect within the Friend Zone. 

*The Present*

It would be many years until Perfuma would relay this story to Finn and they would have to swear secrecy. Finn didn’t like keeping secrets from their moms and they knew after all the years that had passed, they wouldn’t be angry with his two aunt’s but they had been taught a very important lesson for as long as they would remember. Promises were important and you didn’t break them for any reason. 

As they continued waiting for the others, Finn’s gaze left the chairs usually occupied by Scorpia and looked towards the one where Entrapta sat. The mere sight of this seat caused Finn a great deal of anxiety and that was even though that Hordak’s chair wasn’t present. Remembering all the reasons they were here in the past, Finn tried their best to think of better times to try and get themselves to relax once more.

8 Years In The Future-Dryl

The lab had grown significantly over the years as Hordak and Entrapta worked both on projects together and on their own. It was more than double the size with the castle in Dryl increasing in size and complexity as a result also. It had been a surprisingly effortless and timely expansion with Hordak and Entrapta’s modified Horde robots becoming ever efficient in completing their tasks. At the moment, Hordak was working alone in the lab on a project he was hoping to present to Entrapta as a surprise. Looking over the invention with a face covering to protect his pale skin, Hordak paused as they found they needed a part. Turning round and grabbing the part, Hordak listened to the silence generated by the large vacant lab. 

He knew Entrapta was busy elsewhere and although Hordak’s attitude towards the company of others had relaxed over the years, he would be lying if he didn’t say that he enjoyed the return to solititude now and again. He was even spared the presence of his botched clone gremlin ‘Impy’ which had been adopted by three of his former Horde soldiers following the war, a gesture he held no interest in contesting or complaining about. The silence was perfect and Hordak buried himself in his work expecting not to be bothered or taken aback by a sudden appearance like he was only seconds later.

‘What you doing?’ Dropping the tool he was using due to the sudden voice from behind, Hordak scowls in announce and turns to see a curious looking Finn staring up at him. At this age, Finn’s blue eyes are almost too big for their body and their fur almost seems to look extra sofa. Their tail waving around behind them, Finn smiles up at Hordak seemingly not taking any hint that they have disturbed the former Horde commander. ‘Finn…’ Hordak says before looming over a very innocent looking Finn and without a warning, the tall clone scoops up the small child with a chuckle. 

‘You shouldn’t sneak up your elders like that! You’re likely to give one of us heart failure.’ While he jokingly chastises Finn, Hordak pinches one of the young child’s cheeks and chuckles. Upon getting his cheek gently pinched, Finn playfully squirms and bats Hordak’s hand away playfully. ‘Uncle Hordak!’ The young child protests before joining in on the laughter. Once Hordak has enjoyed a good chuckle at partly his own expence, he turns whilst still holding Finn effortlessly. Since he was taken by Prime in a life that seemed so very far away, Hordak was stronger. He’d been given a new body, one that wasn’t slowly betraying him. He had opted for blue hair again once Prime had been defeated but now he wore different clothes. Dark purple and blue adorn his new outfit, the former colour he chose to match his beloved’s outfit. 

‘Behold young Finnn! A gift to my darling Entrapta!’ Gesturing like he was on stage presenting a magic act or a singer, Hordak’s voice adapted to a more theatrical tone. Partly this was to amuse Finn but it was also because after many years, Hordak’s best male friend had really rubbed off on him. The theatric presentation was in benefit of part of a skeleton for a new robot type that was far too primitive to see any real potential in. There were drawings though on the wall behind the robot of a humanoid drone with a dome like head. ‘This is the future Finn.’ Hordak went on to explain 

‘My darling Entrapta will have her fondest desire. Robots with their own personalities, thoughts and feelings. Each with a name, a wide range emotions and ability to take on any task you can imagine! This is the first project I’ve been truly excited about for years!’ The amount of excitement and pride was practically bursting out of Hordak and Finn couldn’t help but be swept up in it. 

‘This is so cool Uncle Hordak!’ Finn proclaimed ‘Its like you and Aunt Entrapta can have a family like me and my moms and the King and Queen and…’ In an instant, Hordak’s entire body changes as the excited words of a child spill out of Finn’s mouth. Noticing that something has changed, Finn tenses up slightly as Hordak sets him gently down on the lab floor.

‘Are you okay, Uncle Hordak? I didn’t say anything wrong did I? I’m sorry if I did.’ Watching Hordak press a button on the side of the work area where he is just starting construction of his new robot, Finn then sees the entire project vanish down into a newly opened hole in the ground. Once the robot, the equipment and the drawings have all gone, the hole in the ground covers itself back up, like it had never been there at all. ‘Uncle Hordak?’ With his back to Finn, Hordak didn’t answer to his name and for the first time since entering the lab, the young child of Adora and Catra started to feel a little awkward and slightly afraid. 

Whenever they spent time in Dryl, it always seemed to be the place his mothers seemed most wary of because of Hordak. Finn never understood why and their mother’s wouldn’t say but they heard rumours. It was hard to fathom imagining Hordak as someone who wished to wish Finn’s mothers harm or anyone else for that matter but people remembered and stories were told and passed on. The stories over time became warped and wrong but the essence stayed the same. As hard as it was for Finn to imagine, Hordak was once the most feared person on all of Etheria, someone that even the shadow lady their mother was frightened of and Finn now realized was not just a fictional creature that went bump in the night had answered to. Still in this moment, with him even standing there not saying anything, there was an aura around Hordak that made Finn very much believe that they were no longer someone they could trust. 

‘Hordakkkkk?! Have you seen Finn!?’ Climbing out of a vent with the use of her hair, Entrapta appears holding a tablet in her hands and beams as Hordak and Finn turn to her. ‘My darling!’ Sounding immediately more positive, Hordak spreads his arms and approaches Entrapta, kissing her cheek and causing her to blush. Once more, Hordak’s calm and pleasant exterior had reemerged like it had never been gone but despite this, Finn couldn’t take their eyes off him. Looking over data on her tablet, Entrapta laughed manically and looked proudly on towards Finn and moved her hair towards the small child. ‘Give it up you little genius you!’ 

Unsure why they were doing it but never able to turn a high five, Finn promptly hits their paw against their Aunt’s hair. Lowering herself to the floor of the lab, Entrapta grabs Hordak and pulls him close to show off the data on her tablet before them. ‘Looooook! Finn escaped the latest trap room in record time! This displays a complex amount of dexterity and intelligence far above what would be normal at this age. You are four years old right?’ Relaxing somewhat after the weird moment with Hordak, Finn couldn’t help but find good humour at the little things his Aunt got wrong in spite of how brilliant she was. ‘I’m six now Aunt Entrapta.’ Finn declared with a smile, a fact Entrapta chewed on for a few moments and shrugged. 

‘Still impressive none the less! We must run more tests! Morrrrrrre!’ Raising his eyebrow, Hordak glances over to Entrapta with a hint of concern on his face. ‘Entrapta…how dangerous are these rooms?’ The question is quickly answered by Entrapta announcing ‘Very!’ much to Finn and Hordak’s surprise. ‘Wait…I thought they were games you built just for me.’ Suddenly remembering all the spike pits they thought were made of foam, fire they thought was illusionary and laser beams that they’d assume would just tickle, Finn swallowed hard. 

Gently removing the tablet from Entrapta’s hands much to her chagrin, Hordak cleared his throat and stated ‘Perhaps we shouldn’t put the children of our friends in uneccesary danger.’ Throwing Finn a wink to assure them it was something he could handle, Hordak watched a look of disappointment wash over Entrapta before she folded her arms and muttered. ‘Danger is what makes the data reliable.’ Are among the comments she offers before Hordak decides to take her mind off what is troubling her. 

‘Perhaps we should have those talented chef’s on staff to make us a nice cake?’ Upon hearing that there might be cake, both Entrapta and Finn cried out in excitement. They held hands and spun round in tandem, the dangers and data seemingly forgotten. Hiding the tablet for the time being, Hordak just hoped that Finn didn’t mention any of this to his mothers. The last thing Hordak wanted was to get on their bad side. ‘Let us head in that direction then, shall we?’ 

It was a warm invitation and one Hordak meant whole heartedly but despite all the years that had passed, there seemed to be one thing that had changed. Even when it came to something as pleasant as cake, there was always something more hidden behind Hordak’s decisions. Even when it benefitted others it never also failed to benefit himself also. This was a fact that did not occur to young Finn at the time but would very much pass through their mind several times a day in the future.

*The Present*

The ears on the side of his head lowered in sadness as they tended to do when he thought about their memories of Dryl, Finn tried to push their emotions back. They would be seeing a lot of Entrapta and Hordak so they had to make sure they didn’t get too emotional around them. They were both brilliant but Hordak especially would be watching them closely for more reasons that even Finn couldn’t imagine despite all they knew now. Wishing for more pleasant memories to escape from the tide of sadness that had come, Finn’s mind turned away from adults and mentors. They thought of friends while looking at the chairs occupied by the King and Queen of Brightmoon.

13 Years In The Future-The Whispering Woods

The hammock Finn relaxed in had been there for almost two years. They had set it up themselves when on one of their many adventures in the woods with their friends. With their eyes closed, Finn enjoyed the sun beaming down from above when they heard a familiar sound just a few feet above them. Pretending they hadn’t heard anything Finn smiled slightly until they heard a branch break above them causing them to sit up and point. ‘Aha! Got you!’

However there was nothing above Finn much to their surprise but a moment later, a boy appears in a purple flash above him shouting ‘No! Got you!’ The boy proceeds to land on Finn while laughing and both of them come tumbling out of the resting place amongst the trees. Yelling as they hurtle towards the ever closer ground below, Finn closes their eyes and hopes for the best as the still laughing boy causes them both to vanish in a flash of purple. They both appear on the ground with Finn stumbling around until they can reach a nearby tree which they lean against breathing heavily. 

‘Did you forget that I totally had everything under control?’ The young boy who is around a year than Finn asks with a confident smile. This boy is dressed in comfortable looking purple coloured formal attire that is adorned with gold. The boys purple hair reaches down to his neck contrasting surprisingly well with his otherwise dark features. ‘I can never tell with you Lance, your powers can sometimes be a little unreliable.’ This comment from Finn causes Lance to stop laughing and fold his arms while in mock offence. ‘Hey! I haven’t had a blip with my powers in like…a month.’ Looking doubtful, Finn’s concerns are justified when a new voice joins in the conversation adding ‘Actually it’s been about just over two weeks.’   
Both Finn and Lance look over to a nearby tree where a girl of around six is sitting with her back against a large and old looking oak tree. The girl is dressed similarly to Lance but has dark curls that partly cover her face which is already hidden behind a pair of too large for her face glasses. The girl seems a bit embarrassed that her comment has drawn some attention and despite her light orange skin the awkwardness that stems from that is evident on her face. Shielding her face completely behind a book that seems far larger than someone of her age would be reading her, the young girl seems employs a strategy that counts on her being forgotten about if she can’t be seen. Using his teleporting powers, Lance makes his way over to his sister and lowers the book scowling lightly down at her. 

‘Angella! You weren’t supposed to tell anyone! Now that you’ve told Finn, all of Etheria will know and I’ll never hear the end of it from mom and dad!’ ‘Hey!’ Finn objects to the accusation and then thinks it over for a moment before decided that being offended is indeed the correct response. ‘I told on you like one time! You’d stolen Blossom’s doll and made her cry!’ Looking curiously towards her brother, Angella seems taken aback by Finn’s statement ‘I don’t remember that.’ While Finn approaches the two siblings, Lance rolls his eyes ‘It was before your time.’ Now that Finn was close by, Lance’s mind turned to a way to get his own back in a way ‘I guess you’re right you know. As long as Blossom’s off with her mom’s and doesn’t need her protector Finn then I guess I’m safe with my little teleportation mishap. Which by the way isn’t even that bad!’ 

That last part seemingly said to both his audience and anyone else that may be listening, Lance glances away from Finn who immediately seems flustered at what one of their childhood friends has accused them of. ‘I…I don’t know what you mean.’ Seemingly caught off guard, Finn shifts awkwardly, their bravado from mere moments ago forgotten. Smiling that they have Finn figuratively on the ropes, Lance starts to make kissing noises and puts his hands in front of his face and pretends to kiss them while Angella watches on horrified at what she’s witnessing. ‘I love you Blossom. Give me a kiss.’ Making more kissing noises, Lance finally gets the result he wants as Finn pounces on him ‘No I don’t! Shut up!’ The two young children roll away from a frowning Angella who sits alone for a few moments until a shadow looms over her. Turning around and gasping with eyes full of fear, Angella immediately points in the direction that Finn and Lance rolled off to. ‘I didn’t do anything and they went that way.’

Finally the pair of friends come to a stop and by this point both are laughing. Pinning Finn down, Lance looks down at the blue eyes of his friends who loos back up at their friend. ‘What?’ Finn asks to which Lance stands up and brushes himself off ‘Nothing…just don’t tell anyone…’ Puzzled, Finn stands up when they were joined by someone else ‘Don’t tell anyone what exactly?’ Both Finn and Lance are somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of the latter’s very pregnant mother who is looking on at the two children with heavy skepticism. Neither answers the Queen for a few moments until Finn points at Lance and blurts out ‘He tried to teleport two weeks ago and couldn’t!’ to which Lance responds to by looking at Finn with venom in his eyes and lightly hits the arm of his longtime friend. Rubbing her eyes as Finn returns the gesture, Glimmer takes to glaring at the two young people before her with her arms folded which seems to stop the situation from escalating any further. 

‘Lance, you promised that if your teleportation powers acted up you’d tell me!’ Hanging his head in shame, Lance doesn’t even notice Finn looking smug but this isn’t something that lasts long as Glimmer turns her attention towards them. ‘Don’t you look so smug either! If Lance was having to teleport, it means you two were up to something! I can easily tell both your moms about this.’ Feeling their jaw drop, Finn seemed at a loss for words for a few moments while pointing between Lance and themselves. ‘I’m innocent! I didn’t do anything but just…lie there!’ Looking skeptical, Glimmer looks between the two of them and then quickly at the otherwise empty surrounding area. ‘Wait…where’s your sister?!’ Both Lance and Finn freeze in fear because both of them realize that they have no idea.

‘Don’t worry! I found her!’ Relief flooded through Finn and Lance as Bow stepped through a passing in the forest along with Angella who was hugging her large book close to her. Instantly forgetting her concern and that she was chastising Finn and Lance, Glimmer smiles at her daughter and kneels to motion her forward. ‘Are you okay? Did you get lost?’ Slightly approaching her mother but not quite wanting to open her arms to embrace her for fear of losing her book, Angella shakes her head. Lowering her gaze to the book Angella is in possession of, Glimmer points directly at it and raises an eyebrow. ‘Is that a magic text?’ Looking around nervously, Angella moves to hide the book behind herself even though it is clear that Glimmer has already seen it. Before the situation can grow any more awkward, Bow ruffles the hair of his daughter. 

‘I let her borrow it from the library. You know this little one and her love for reading.’ Opening her mouth in shock at how confident her dad sounded in his lie, Angella looked up at him and when he winked down at her she couldn’t help but smile. Being an anxious introvert, Angella didn’t smile much but when she did she lit up the whole room and could get away with anything. For Bow’s part, he knew his daughter had a natural curiosity to the magic’s that worried his wife but he believed in her and knew that eventually once she’d gotten over some of her own natural maternal concerns, Glimmer would not see a little girl at risk. She would see the girl who had the potential to be the most powerful sorcerer Etheria had ever seen, if Micah was to be believed anyway by the potential he saw in her. Seemingly taking Bow at his word but still looking somewhat skeptical, Glimmer attempts to stand and finds it awkward to the heavy degree of her pregnancy. Eventually giving up she groans in frustration and reaches out to Bow who helps her up. 

Frowning and holding her stomach, Glimmer gives Bow a look that seems to cry for mercy. ‘This one’s going to be trouble, I can tell.’ Moving forward, Finn starts to reach out to Glimmer’s bump but then halts and looks up at their Aunt who nods her permission. Touching the bump, Finn smiles and feels the baby inside kick causing them to laugh in the same fashion as Catra. ‘Hey Adora.’ Finn says with a sweet tone to their voice but a moment later Lance bumps them aside and places his hand on the bump. 

‘It’s not going to be another girl! Its going to be a boy, like me! Grandpa George will finally get a grandchild named after him too!’ Remembering how he had been forced to toss a coin to stop an argument about what Lance would be called when he was born, Bow knew his dad George would be grateful for another grandson so that his husband would give him some peace. ‘Well it could be both.’ Angella added ‘If it was twins we could get a boy and a girl or two girls or two boys or maybe…’ 

The look of fear continues to grow on Bow and Glimmer’s face while Angella talks, her usual characteristic quiet nature broken on the knowledge she was relaying which she had naturally read in a book. While Bow and Glimmer listened to Angella unknowingly increase their anxiety, Finn looked to Lance. ‘Do you think your dad will teach us some more archery tricks when we get home?’ To which Lance responded to by looking like Finn had asked him the most stupid question in the world ‘I think if the end of the world was coming, my dad would still find time to teach us archery tricks’ To that point though, Lance was wrong. 

The end of the world had come and there had been no archery tricks of any type.

*The Present*

Sighing at how these series of memories seem to come with good and bad feelings, Finn leans back in their chair and puts their head back. Looking up at the ceiling of the meeting room, Finn still in their mind goes through the chairs around the table, hoping that perhaps memories of the next pair of chairs can bring them the solace they seek.

16 Years In The Future-Erelandia

‘Look darling, isn’t it the most delightful coffee shop? Perhaps we should get a table and wait for your mothers to return, what do you think Finn?’ Taking a moment to realize they’ve been asked a question, Finn turns to Spinerella who stares at them expectantly with a pleasant smile. ‘I’m sorry, can you say that again Aunt Spinny?’ Feeling themselves get nudged, Finn glances to his Aunt Netossa who looks at them knowingly. ‘Waiting for someone?’ She says knowingly, words which cause Finn to blush and look away from Netossa swiftly. 

As the three of them join a line of people entering a quant looking coffee shop named ‘Loo-Kee’s’ Finn once more steals a glance towards a nearby dressmakers. The whole reason for the trip to Erelandia, a thriving shopping town in Etheria at this point was because of Princess Prom. Of the group that had went, only Finn had an outfit prepared. They had been bored one day and exploring the castle with their friends. Feeling a bit daring, Finn had got through his mother’s closet and found a really cool looking brown suit. Turning to Adora, the youngest of Bow and Glimmer’s children who was using the beautiful wings she had been born with to float in the air. Unlike her siblings, Adora did not look like a mix of her parents but seemed to be a reincarnation of Glimmer’s mother albeit with darker hair. Hovering cross legged in the room flicking through a book her namesake was reading through that seemed to contain a surprising amount of pictures for a supposedly adult book, Finn held up the suit. 

‘What do you think?’ The suit had been given the thumbs up from the young flying toddler and that was all Finn needed. However Blossom was dress shopping nearby and Finn kept glancing hoping to catch a glimpse of her in the dress she was going to wear. ‘You know…’ Netossa slowly began ‘if you really want to see what Blossom is going to look like. You could ask her to Princess Prom and see what she’s wearing all night.’ Glancing away from the dressmakers immediately, Finn tries to act calm but before they can even mount some sort of excuse they feel the light touch of Netossa on their shoulder. Feeling themselves be turned around, Finn finds themselves face to face with a very intense looking Netossa causing them to gulp hard. ‘Admit it! She’s your weakness!’ 

Wondering what on earth weakness has to do with anything, Finn starts to feel very claustrophobic. ‘Why don’t we let Finn decide who they want to ask to Princess Prom?’ With a gentle smile, Spinerella pulls back her wife from the intimidated young person before them both. Looking mildly annoyed that her process had been interrupted, Netossa soon forgets about that and Finn as she listens to a dream her wife had. Relieved to be out from under the spotlight, Finn resisted the urge to look back at the dressmakers again now that Netossa’s attention had been stolen away. So occupied by not looking towards the dressmakers and not being focused enough on where they were going, Finn stumbles into someone. Muttering an apology, they realize they’ve nearly walked into Lance who is dressed in a very nice black tux with a bow tie and a top hat. 

‘Hey, what do you think? I couldn’t resist the top hat, it means that I can use it as my future career as a magician.’ Flicking the top hat with one hand, Lance effortlessly causes it to roll down his arm so he catches it in one cool, smooth motion. Vanishing a moment later, Lance then reappears with the top hat on their head again and takes a bow. Several people in the line clap at this performance including Netossa and Spineralla while Finn stands at a loss with their mouth hanging open. Stepping close to behind them, Netossa leans down and whispers ‘I see it now, the weakness. Tough going kid, I wouldn’t want to be in your position.’ Once again Finn can’t help but swallow hard as they feel a flutter in their chest while they watch Lance continue to mug for the audience causing them to mutter ‘Oh man…’ to themselves.

*The Present*

Young love, a decision to be made that never got to be addressed because the Princess Prom never came. The Futurist came shortly after that trip and the war began. Soon Netossa and Spinerella were…gone, among the first to fall under the mechanical foot of the Futurists army. All that were left of Finn’s memories and extended family was mostly time spent in this room and a feeling of tension that usually followed deep tragedy.

*18 Years In The Future-Bright Moon Castle, The Alliance Meeting Room*

Sitting with their head in their hands, Finn just couldn’t muster any more tears. They were losing, it was a fact. Even their victories were delaying the inevitable because no matter how hard they fought or paid in blood and sacrifice, the Futurist always came out on top. There had been so many people lost to the war that it made Finn numb thinking about it. The tears had come at first but now there was just a feeling of hollowness inside. Only one thing kept Finn going and today, that was also at risk. They sat wishing they hadn’t listened to their mothers, that they had gone with them to the front line. It wasn’t like it was the first time that Finn would have seen combat and that they would be unprepared. Being raised by a group of badass Princesses had its advantages and Finn had certainly inherited some of their mothers combat skills. Still with so much loss on the part of the Princess alliance both Catra and Adora didn’t want to risk Finn any more than they had to. They both knew it, just like Finn did. They were going to lose and either be captives of the Futurist or be killed by them just like so many of their friends and loved ones had been. 

So Finn waited, feeling completely useless and weak in their current location. Perhaps they thought if they could face the enemy in battle, they could muster up all those negative emotions that they now seemed devoid of to lash out at the enemy. To bring out all that pain and suffering on one person and turn the tide, it wasn’t like an emotion hadn’t won a war for the Princess alliance before. While thinking that, Finn shook their head, looking at seats at the table they were too sat at and they couldn’t help but think ‘What Princess alliance?’ So many seats now were empty, no longer would they be filled again. Feeling a reassuring hand on their shoulder, Finn had forgotten they weren’t alone but didn’t show any sign of surprise. Any show of emotion was an exhausting concept and after all, it was only Double Trouble. 

Much like Finn, Double Trouble had been left behind but their task was to protect their young protégé. In essence, Double Trouble was their babysitter, a term Finn detested. With the fall of the Princess Alliance, the Babysitter Alliance had crumbled to nothing too. There were no more visits to other kingdoms or precious memories with Aunt’s and Uncle’s. Like they had control over time itself, the Futurist had somehow taken the joy from all of Finn’s past along withtheir present.

‘It’s okay kitten, they’re going to come back.’ Throughout their life, Finn had never heard a lie spoken to them by Double Trouble. They were always in on the act or part of the performance. The changeling had never and would never betray Finn and this was no exception but was it still not a lie if you weren’t sure? Before Finn could ponder this any further, the doors to the room entered and unable to help themselves, the young catlike person stood up and awaited to see who had come home this time. At first, Finn’s legs felt weak because there were only three people entering the room when many more had left. They all looked battered but Finn had seen worse, far worse. At that moment they didn’t care about minor injuries, they only cared about who they didn’t say and with a very scared sounding voice Finn managed to ask ‘Mom?’ 

Putting up her hands signaling for Finn to remain calm, She-Ra did her best to give her child a smile of reassurance. ‘Your mom’s fine, she got shot once but I got her off the field. Most everyone made it this time, I’m going to head down to the infirmary to heal some people shortly. I wanted to tell you we both made it back.’ Tears actually did threaten to impart themselves on Finn much to their surprise. Losing either of their mothers would probably be the thing to finally break Finn, something they hoped they would never have to deal with. Relief flooded over Finn for a moment before they thought over their mother’s choice of words. ‘What do you mean ‘most’ everyone made it out this time?’ 

As if answering Finn’s question, Sea Hawk sank themselves hard into the chair that once at a time that both didn’t seem very long ago but also too far back had belonged to Mermista. Remembering a young man full of spirit that always had a hardy laugh and a song at hand, Finn now looked at a broken man. Unshaven, unkept and wearing an eye patch to hide the hollow husk the Futurist left him with in a battle over a year ago, Seahawk’s remaining eye told the story.

‘Kyra…’ Finn sank in their chair again. The tears that had threatened them when the thought of losing their mother seemed to have vanished, a fact Finn would spend a long time feeling guilty about but for the moment, they only thought of one thing, their lost friend. ‘Gone to join her brother and mother.’ Seahawk said followed by a short, ugly laugh. Taking after her father in spirit, Kyra had always been the one to climb the highest, go the furthest and indeed burn ships the fastest. Kept in check by her twin brother Phoenix, Kyra had grown wilder after his murder at the hands of the Futurist and not for the better. She took more risks in her quest for revenge, promising to bring the Futurist to their needs with regular cries of ‘Revenge!’ which had replaced those of ‘Adventure!’ Much to her late mother’s constant chagrin, Kyra had been a wild fire in the watery kingdom of Selinias. 

A sparkling firecracker that brought light to everyone’s day and had the most stunning singing voice anyone had heard. Despite protesting otherwise, her mother had adored her as much as her other child and they brought out the best in each other. The love for Seahawk had for his children however was something else. He adored them, keeping them more close to him than any treasure he could ever discover. The death of Mermista had been hard for him but the children had seen him through, following the death of Phoenix, Seahawk had changed and even though Kyra had also become something much different following her brothers death, he lived entirely for her while fighting in the name for those he lost. Now she was gone too, Seahawk was almost unrecognizable. 

The potential for the Futurist leaving Seahawk arrive on purpose because it would be crueler was something that crossed Finn much to their shame. They had tried for too many years now to get inside the mind of the maniac that had taken so much away from them and what sickened Finn most is how right they were most of the time about the Horde’s next movements because of it. Wanting to comfort Seahawk but unable to find the words or even wanting to move due to the immediate shock of losing one of their friends, Finn was beaten to it by the third figure that had entered the room. Not asking for permission, Frosta sat beside Sea Hawk in her own chair and reached over and hugged him tight, a gesture he did not object to but did not return either. 

Now in her early 30’s, Frosta had grown up into a stunningly gorgeous woman. Her hair was kept short and her parka she had worn as a pre-teen was replaced with a furry blue cape with a white frilly collar that attached at the neck with a broche that had a perfectly preserved snowflake at the centre. It had been given to Frosta by one of her many lovers over the years. Unlike the rest of her close friends in the Princess alliance, Frosta had never been one to settle down, taking a mix of male and female partners over the years. Some of them lasted a while but most didn’t make it past a casual mention in the regular role-play sessions the group still indulged in. The rest of Frosta’s outfit was a full body blue and white trouser suit that spent most of the time hidden behind the blue cape that was the length of her tall body. The years were she had been the ‘kid’ of the group were long gone as time had brought her closer to her lifelong friends. 

She had grown especially close to Mermista over the years and Finn knew that if anyone could understand it would be her. Once the embrace was broken, Frosta looked towards She-Ra with a coldness that matched her abilities. ‘I’m going to do it. I’m sorry but we are not keeping hope alive anymore for them to change back to the friend we knew, the Futurist has to die.’ In truth, they’d given up hope in regards to the Futurist returning to the person they’d once known long ago but no one had ever seen it out like. ‘Why kill them?’ Seahawk finally spoke to the attention of everyone. ‘Killing them would be too easy. Set them on fire, make them suffer, really suffer.’ The coldness of the comment took the air out of the room and no one knew what to say. This is what The Futurist had reduced them all too, people with no hope left and far too much bitterness remaining of who they’d once been. 

‘What are we going to do now, mom?’ Hoping their question didn’t sound as desperate as they felt, Finn looked towards She-Ra who looked at a loss herself. ‘I think there might be a way.’ She finally said ‘There’s a machine…’ as She-Ra began talking everyone found themselves listening to her after a few moments and for the first time in as long as they could remember, Finn felt the embers of the fire of what they might have once considered hope.

*The Present*

It had been a hard year full of more loss than Finn thought they’d been able to bear. Still, the plan had been everything. The plan to go back in time and fix everything so no one had to lose anyone and that everyone could be alive and happy as it once had been. Once upon a time before Finn was born, his mother’s had saved the universe and now even though it hadn’t been the plan originally, it was their turn. They had more advantages than their mothers had, or at least they thought they had.   
They knew everything that would happen and they had years to set things right when it should only take a few important conversations. Not knowing the Futurist was in the past with them, Finn now felt that everything was under some semblance of control. This allowed them to feel more like their old selves again, who they had been before the war had started. Meeting Double Trouble then their moms and the King and Queen followed by Entrapta then Swift Wind and Melog in the past had helped too. It was back how things should be and Finn thought all they had to do was make sure it didn’t all go wrong again. Confident they could accomplish at least that, Finn jumped slightly as the doors to the meeting room opened. In a moment everyone Finn knew and loved would be in front of them and they would have no idea who they were. Swallowing hard, Finn hoped that this would be as difficult as things went for the plan because then ideally everything else would be a breeze.

A complication hovered however outside Brightmoon castle watching over Finn as they waited in the alliance meeting room. A robotic drone, invisible to sight and magic alike watched the proceedings develop. Receiving the footage that the robot broadcast, The Futurist watched carefully the main live footage on one screen while going over recorded footage on other screens at the same time. Rewinding and watching seemingly mundane footage of Finn in an otherwise empty room, The Futurist would pause it occasionally and lean forward to the screen. 

They would then lean back and resume their silent observations until the doors finally opened and they enlarged the main live footage so it was one big image across multiple screens. Leaning back the Futurist even took their helmet off and placed it on a control panel because they wanted to make sure nothing interfered with watching the meeting was about to take place. So rarely did the Futurist remove any piece of their armour that one of the droids asked if anything was wrong. Normally such an intrusion would cause the Horde leader great anger but instead they waved away the drone’s concerns with their armoured hand. 

‘Its fine.’ They commented in their own voice which was no longer distorted by theirmodifier in helmet. ‘Just catching up with some old friends.’ They said with almost a hint of fondness in their voice. ‘Not every day you see ghosts of the past.’ Smiling like a predator eagerly awaiting a kill, The Futurist immediately forgot about the presence of the nearby drone and watched as the past played out in front of their eyes.

To Be Continued…


End file.
